HTC is going hard on marketing, but is the One enough to make HTC relevant again?

0.phoneArena
19 Feb 2013, 20:43posted on

From everything we've seen and heard, the HTC One could very well be the new gold standard in the mobile world. Everything about the device is top quality, but as always, it's all in the execution that determines success. More specifically, it doesn't always matter if you have the best device if you can't market it properly and excite customers. So, we have to ask the question: is the One enough to make HTC relevant again?...

It really isn't a disable option, you just uncheck all the options of things to be in your feed. I don't think anyone would want to do that though, the social networking options could be useful. Though, I agree, they should give the option for it to be removed.

Why is it such a problem that you can't disable it? First, you say you don't like it, but you've never actually used it, so that opinion doesn't hold much weight. Second, there are plenty of other high-end Android devices to choose from. If you don't like what HTC did, don't buy it. It's quite simple. And, as I said before, if you really have to buy the One and you still don't like BlinkFeed, then just install Nova Launcher, and you're good to go.

This is the way Android works. If you don't like what Samsung/HTC/Sony does, you don't buy it, but no manufacturer isn't going to make it easy to get rid of their UI. Of course, that's why Nexus exists.

"First, you say you don't like it, but you've never actually used it, so that opinion doesn't hold much weight."

Yes, that's true I never actually used it and I don't know what is the feeling of using BlinkFeed. But you know what, I even don't want to try it because I already know that I don't need it, I just don't feel a need for it! And I believe that there is more people who don't want it and I'm also sure that there will be people who will try it and do not want it anymore, so why HTC just didn't leave the facility to turn it off by default for those who don't want it? Is it so hard? Also if I have never used something, that doesn't mean that I can't have subjective opinion about that, right?

"Second, there are plenty of other high-end Android devices to choose from."

Yes, I agree. At the moment I'm interested in Sony Xperia Z and HTC One and that's why I'm counting pros and cons in my mind about these two devices. And since this article is about HTC One I'm expressing my opinion about it and not about any other device.

"If you don't like what HTC did, don't buy it. It's quite simple."

Yes, it is simple. But not so simple when you actually like it but hate bloatware inside of it.

"And, as I said before, if you really have to buy the One and you still don't like BlinkFeed, then just install Nova Launcher, and you're good to go."

My bad. Typing too fast and after 2 minutes, no editing ability. VZW has a little over 20% (21%?) of the cellular subscribers in the U.S. The point still applies - there are 67 million subscribers who are being ignored.

yes i think that this phone can make it. at least it can be placed back into the sphere of phones that will get people talking about HTC again. and to a remark made in the article about the iPhone being aluminium, the iPhone isn't made out of aluminium it only has an aluminum framed chassis to support the antenna the back is polymer and glass.

20.XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)

I think a big piece that will fill in the puzzle to htc's dilemma is the choice they made to make it AVAILABLE! ....Lets face it NO phone will ever be perfect (not saying it isnt an amazing phone by any means) but as long as you have a solid buitl phone, modern day specs, a thriviving campaign, and its on more than ONE CARRIER!! then there really wont be that much room for the competition to take advantage of you... All in all, i think they will be fine and as long as they STAY PASSIONATE about what theyre doing then they need not worry because their fan base will follow them even more and new comers should tag along too.

2. Yes we have a 32/64 GB option but an SD card slot is a basic function.

3. The new Sense looks like crap! Too much eye candy that may not be removable. All this will do is slow down the update process.

4. I don't mind capacitive buttons but you have no task manager button and home button is in the right???? WTH most people are RIGHT handed (I'm a lefty) and this would have been more comfortable.

I know HTC doesn't give a crap about me as a consumer but at this point you lost my business after I got my Nexus and the Thunderbolt debacle. HTC its been a nice 8 yrs but its time for us to part ways.

1. Of course it isn't removable, it would've compromised the amazing build quality otherwise. And how do you know it's too small? The battery size is higher than average, and a lot of variables to battery life are software related. Wait for official reviews on battery life before judging a product. Common sense is a lot less common now.

"Oh hey, this product just came out a few hours ago and no one has tested battery life yet, but the battery life is absolutely horrible!"

2. A basic function that is not needed with such high memory options. Only the 1% of consumers need more than 64 GB; and knowing HTC, they'll price the 64 GB model very competitively compared to other 64 GB options (iPhone), and mark it at the same price as other high end flagships that will come with 16 or 32 GB of storage.

3. The only thing that I could see not looking too good is the Blink Feed feature (which is really just kind of a built in Flipboard widget), but all you have to do is swipe to the left or right and you'll get back to the typical Sense layout. Sense is much lighter overall, and updates should be faster, because now there are only a few features that could slow down the update process, whereas before Sense was very heavy and needed a lot longer to skin over Android.

4. I do admit the button layout is a bit odd, but people will get used to it fairly easily.

HTC has listened to its consumers with this device. It has a lot of storage, a bigger battery, Sense is lighter than ever, and since they have left the low-end market, made one ultra high end device that is available almost everywhere and is known by one name, updates should be much more uniform and quick.

You will find just about anything to bash a device, won't you? A device that no one has had more than a couple hours with or had daily experience with it, of course. Wait for the official reviews before judging.

I'm looking at this device strictly from the Verizon point of view and I should have clarified that from the beginig. Obviously none of us have the device but HTC has been known to use really small batteries in there devices and that's always been a sticking point for them. Yes we all want phones with great build quality but we also want good battery life.

I am glad that they are offering larger storage options but we don't know what will be available for Verizon. Some people will use the memory card slot (me) some won't find it necessary (you).

In regards to the Blink feed...its OK but im curious if I can disable it and how does it effect battery life. I'm concerned about bloatware from the carriers because Verizon has a habit of doing stuff like that.

You say I am bashing the device I'm just pointing out obvious things that many other people have mentioned. I really like the hardware but I wish HTC had at least given us a little larger battery say 2800 mah. Even you wouldn't say no to a larger battery.

If you know anything about how battery work on phone then you know it is not just the size of the battery that count.
The DNA has about 4 to 5 hour of screen on time. I saw as hour as 6 hour. Cnet video loop test show 8 hour. Now that battery is on par with the vzw sgs3. The S3 has a larger battery with 2100 vs 2020 on the DNA. But the DNA has a larger screen with more pixel. That should you that it is more then the size of the battery.

LOL I am well aware how a battery works and I'm also well aware that software can affect how it performs. HTC has extremely well built phones but they tend to have an issue with battery consumption. Let's not even add the the S3 into the equation because its from 2012.

But they didn't put a really small battery in the One, it's actually pretty standard, and then you have to put in all the battery saving elements of the device; the power efficient processor, the power efficient display, the smaller display compared to the DNA, the new minimal Sense 5, and probably a few software tweaks HTC put in there for good measure.

As for Verizon, I don't think will be getting their own version of this, at least not for a while, the DNA is still in the spotlight for Verizon. Even if the One did have a memory card slot, and it did come to Verizon, Verizon would've just ordered HTC to take it out like they did with the DNA (yes, the Butterfly had a memory card slot). That might actually be why Verizon wasn't on the list for the One, because they wanted to change it too much, so HTC told them to make due with the DNA.

I think the furthest you can get to disabling Blink Feed is to just uncheck all the options for the tiles, so it would just be one big inactive tile that displayed weather and time at the top. As for battery life, I think I remember reading somewhere that it updates itself every hour (you can change that) if you aren't actively using it, but it updates itself more often over Wifi. It shouldn't affect battery life too much, it depends on how many sources you have set to view.

Your original comment was done in an obviously negative way, shooting down the One for what it's "lacking," even though the majority of your points were only based on preference or had no reasoning to actually being true. I classify those kinds of comments as bashing.

Agreed. The One may not appeal to the incredibly small subset of users that still care about removable batteries and SD cards, but that's not the target audience. Same with BlinkFeed. HTC isn't aiming for power users, they are aiming for the other 95% of consumers.

Michael i undstand that HTC is trying to market this device to broader audience but i highly doubt that people who want a combination of a larger batter and or an SD card slot is as small as you make it out to be. If the market was so small why would HTC or Motorola offer devices that have larger internal memory with larger batteries?

You also mentioned adding a different launcher which is an option but if a user is trying to reduce the amount of software on the device why would one add more?

My only real request would have been a larger battery and ALL users can appreciate it.

Samsung's marketing strategy is plain and simple. Don't waste time "arguing" "against" buyers wish(list). Just give them what they want ... HTC on the contrary is more Apple minded company now that it has already slept with the enemy ... everything sealed so that one is forced to buy a new device every 2 years once the battery is dead :)

HTC one is very good, but the problem is, it doesnt have the uniqueness that the other phone HAS to have a selling point.

Samsung S4 - Fanbase & Market(its hard to believe but this is there selling point).
Sony Xperia Z - Water & Dust Resistance and Beautiful Design(not the best screen &
camera, but it has its own standout to others).
Nokia 920 - Camera & toughness and theyre so called unique design.
LG Pro - Copier of Note 2 with beast specs(this time its not plastic).

- too big for a 4.7 inch screen
-9.3 mm is too thick especially next to the sexy 7.9mm Xperia Z and the 8.45mm Optimus G
- too many breaks in the continuity of the design
- poor tactile feel of the buttons
- poor placement of the power button
-poor placement of the home button

That is just from the top of my head. They have to do a lot better than that. Some big draw like the Razr maxx insane battery life. They don't have it.

I don't need to have it to notice those issues. They are all visible and have been said from the hands on videos. I don't see you questioning the people that praise the phone without having it yet. Oh yeah, that's right. You can't handle any constructive criticism towards your lover HTC.

Those are all real problems that are visible. I can't stand the idiocy that says all HTC needs is marketing when it obviously isn't that easy or anyone with money can throw money at the product and succeed in the mobile industry.

HTC needs a lot more than marketing, they need to fix the boatload of issues that cause people like myself not to buy their products anymore. I had no problem welcoming the One X as my daily driver but they really dropped the ball there and no it wasn't just marketing. I see them making the same mistakes here. Sorry I hurt your feelings but that is just the way many others and I see it.

Thickness doesn't matter so much if the weight is right (and according to John, the weight is very nice). And, the placement of the buttons is extremely easy to get used to, even if you prefer a different layout.

Watch the phone arena HTC One preview where John V mentions how the buttons feel like crap like usual from HTC. I am sure there are other youtube videos that say likewise. Unlike you HTC fans, I do not fabricate.

Also getting used to a layout for the sake of getting used to one is not exactly a good thing. It is a con, especially if there is a superior layout that exists. It is a step back plain and simple even if you do not wish to see it that way.

I am not sure if anybody noticed, but out of all the reviews I saw some lag in the gallery when checking zoe images and when going into the blinkfeed and the touchscreen display did not seem to respond as well in tutorials having to press the x several times to close it, because it would not register. The camera had dropped frames and looked laggy, I wonder if the S600 can handle the ultrapixel camera. Size is another issue with the phones yeah they give you higher size but according to what the HTC guy said a picture comparing to the iphone is 40% larger which if you take a lot and have no expandable space you will run out. Also I am sorry but who in the right mind would place the power button on the left top side when most people are right handed. O yeah forgot to ask will the new camera eat more battery?

I would think you would be able to change the resolution of the camera but at least they have the option of a 64 gb model so most people should be ok. In regards to lag I think its just that the device is being handled by everyone there and its just bogged down from all the processes being run.

Not so much cores as optimization. The devices there were used by tons of people and were slowed down a bit by it. Also, the software might not be at it's final version yet, and might be updated before official release next month that will bring final optimizations to it that will make those dropped frames and lag disappear.

Best new Android, iPhone and Windows Phone apps

Best new Android, iPhone and WP games

All content (phone reviews, news, specs, info), design and layouts are Copyright 2001-2015 phoneArena.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part or in any form or medium without written permission is prohibited! Privacy . Terms of use . Cookies . Team